SPEC releases new version of CPU benchmark suite

The SPEC CPU 2017 V1.1 benchmark suite fully supports power measurement, clarifies run rules, and fixes minor bugs

Gainesville, Va., September 10, 2019 -- The Standard Performance Evaluation Corp. (SPEC) today released an updated version of the SPEC CPU 2017 benchmark suite. Version 1.1 provides full support for power measurement, clarifies run rules, and fixes minor software bugs.

The SPEC CPU 2017 benchmark suite has been accepted worldwide as a new standard for CPU performance measurement since its introduction in June 2017. Nearly 14,000 SPEC CPU 2017 performance results have been accepted and published on the SPEC website since that time, and thousands of results have been reported in the trade press and used in marketing collateral.

Starting November 26, 2019, all SPEC CPU 2017 submissions to the SPEC website must use V1.1. Results from V1.1 are comparable to those from V1.0.

Adding a new dimension

The addition of energy efficiency measurement -- an experimental option in the previous release of SPEC CPU 2017 -- adds a new dimension to the benchmark suite, according to James Bucek, SPEC CPU subcommittee vice-chair.

"The increasing emphasis on green computing and energy efficiency within large server environments makes this a significant addition to the SPEC CPU 2017 suite," says Bucek. "Our worldwide community of users now has the ability to compare CPU performance in relation to power consumption for the newest generation of servers."

Real-world performance testing

The SPEC CPU 2017 benchmark suite is a useful tool for anyone interested in how hardware systems will perform under compute-intensive workloads based on real applications. This includes computer users, buyers evaluating system options, hardware system vendors, researchers, and application developers. Those who do not own a SPEC CPU 2017 license can track performance results on SPEC's website.

SPEC CPU2017 includes 43 individual benchmarks organized into four suites: SPECspeed 2017 Integer, SPECspeed 2017 Floating Point, SPECrate 2017 Integer, and SPECrate 2017 Floating Point. SPECspeed metrics measure the time it takes to complete each of the benchmarks in the given suite; SPECrate metrics measure throughput, the rate at which a system can complete a set of defined tasks.

The benchmarks within SPEC CPU 2017 use the compute-intensive portions of real C, C++ and FORTRAN applications. They are portable to a variety of CPU architectures (32- and 64-bit including AMD64, ARMv8 AArch64, Intel IA32, Power ISA, SPARC, etc.) and various operating systems, including UNIX and Windows.

Now shipping

Current SPEC CPU 2017 licensees can upgrade their existing installations by connecting their systems to the internet and running the "runcpu --update" command. New users can purchase the benchmark on the SPEC website. The cost is $1,000 for new customers, $500 for upgrades from SPEC CPU 2006, and $250 for qualified educational institutions.

Additional product and ordering information is available on the SPEC web site at www.spec.org/cpu2017.

About SPEC

SPEC is a non-profit organization that establishes, maintains and endorses standardized benchmarks and tools to evaluate performance and energy consumption for the newest generation of computing systems. Its membership comprises more than 120 leading computer hardware and software vendors, educational institutions, research organizations, and government agencies worldwide.

Media contact:

Bob Cramblitt
Cramblitt & Company
919-481-4599; info@cramco.com

Company, product and service names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.